


Lakehouse Retreat

by moonlittides



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, Fluff, Food Fight, Married Life, Romance, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-02-07 19:19:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12847791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonlittides/pseuds/moonlittides
Summary: A romantic getaway to the lakehouse gives Stefan and Elena the chance to spend some quality time, bringing out their playful side and causing them to fall even more deeply in love with one another.





	Lakehouse Retreat

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fluffy one-shot I wrote last year of the perfect human life Stefan and Elena always deserved.

Title: Lakehouse Retreat

Fandom: The Vampire Diaries

Pairing: Stefan/Elena

Summary: A romantic getaway to the lakehouse gives Stefan and Elena the chance to spend some quality time, bringing out their playful side and causing them to fall even more deeply in love with one another. (Basically fluff, fluff and more fluff.)

Rating: T

Words: 4k

image

“We’re here,” Stefan announces, as his red porch pulls onto the gravel drive outside Elena’s family lakehouse.

The rustic house is full of character and charm, surrounded by woodland and a vast lake. It’s beautifully serene and scenic and is Stefan and Elena’s favourite place to escape to in order to spend some quality time, reflect on their early memories as a couple and recapture their youth.

It’s mid-October and the ground is scattered with leaves of all shades of brown, red and orange and there’s a chill in the air which causes Elena to wrap her coat more tightly around her and lean into Stefan as they go to the trunk of the car to grab their bags.

Stefan reaches for the duffel bag and Elena puts her handbag on her shoulder as she remarks, “I can’t believe we only brought one bag between us. If we’d have brought my car like I said, we would’ve had more room for my stuff.”

“And I told you, this car is a classic and we’re only here for a weekend, you don’t need all your stuff. I packed you everything you need in here.” 

Stefan pats the duffel bag and Elena pouts as they proceed to the house.

“You got the keys?” 

“Me? I thought you’d packed everything we needed in the bag, that’s what you said,” Elena retorts. 

Stefan tilts his head to the side and raises his eyebrows at her. “Seriously, Elena, the keys.”

“Seriously, Stefan, I haven’t got them.” 

With a groan of frustration Stefan dumps the duffel bag onto the floor and begins sifting through it impatiently.

Elena clears her throat. “Stefan?” she waves the keys hanging off her finger and the jingling causes Stefan to stop and look up at her.

A mischievous grin comes across her face as he stares up at her through his eyebrows, before jumping to his feet and exclaiming, “You’re such a little liar!”

He slaps her playfully to which she chuckles and it’s only moments before they’re in the clutches of a passionate kiss, fits of giggles still racking their bodies.

After dumping their bags in the double bedroom, Elena flops down onto the couch whilst Stefan gets a fire started.

“You know, I think I’m gonna call Jeremy just to check and see if-” 

“Oh, no, you don’t!” Stefan exclaims diving over to her and grabbing her cell from her hand. 

“Stefan, give it back,” Elena moans. 

“No, we agreed that this weekend was for us and that we’d forget about everything back home. That means, no work, no family, no stress, just me and you.” Stefan tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear tenderly and locks his eyes on hers, as he says, “Okay?” 

She sighs and a small involuntary smile comes across her lips as she relents with, “Okay,” and leans forward to kiss him.

The moment is interrupted by Elena’s cell ringing.

“Caroline,” Stefan says holding the phone up. 

“Well, I better answer, it could be important,” Elena insists reaching for her phone. 

“Hearing about her latest fight with Tyler or the next party she’s planning or project she’s working on isn’t important,” Stefan replies, unwilling to accept her excuses and switching her cell off. “But do you wanna know what is important?” 

“What?” Elena asks shifting in closer to Stefan, the flirtatious look in his eye instantly drawing her in. 

“Your lips on mine.” 

“Mmm, that does sound very important.” 

Grins break out across their faces as their lips collide and they sink back into the couch.

Stefan and Elena have always been tactile and naturally affectionate with one another, but the busyness and responsibility of everyday life doesn’t leave as much time for that as they’d like, which they’re determined to make up for this weekend.

With no TV and a ban on cell phones the couple engage in games of cards which brings out their competitiveness and the outside world quickly falls away, as it always does when it’s just the two of them. 

As the day draws on, Stefan goes to the kitchen to cook dinner. Elena’s insists that they order take out for the simple fact that she doesn’t want Stefan’s attention to be on anything but her, but his love for food and natural ability in the kitchen means that he refuses.

Elena lingers in the kitchen watching Stefan as he potters about and uhmm's and ahh’s at the flavours of his own cooking and the adoring smile on her face never wavers.

“That’s really distracting, you know?” 

“What is?” Elena asks from her position perched on the edge of the kitchen counter. 

“You staring.” 

“I’m not staring.” 

“No, you’re gazing, right?” he teases as he strides past her to get back to the stove. 

She slaps him in the arm. “Come on, Stefan,” Elena coos as she slides off the counter and walks up behind him, sliding her hands around his waist. “You’ve been in here for hours now, I want you to myself.”

“Hmm, that’s tempting, but I can’t leave the food. Why don’t you do some writing?” he suggests turning round to face her. “You always said how inspiring you find it here, you never know what might come out of it.”

“I guess,” Elena replies. 

Stefan plants a brief kiss on her lips and she takes off on her heels and heads for the living room.

Writing was something Elena shared with her mom as a child and when she died, Elena couldn’t seem to find the motivation to pick up a pen. It’s only through Stefan’s love and encouragement that she rediscovered her love of writing and it’s been a part of her since.

She pulls the notebook and pen she carries with her everywhere out of her bag and flips open to the first blank page. Thoughts whizz around her head, but nothing concise enough to put down on paper, so she gets up to peer out the window at the stunning sight of the bright sun hitting the lake, in the hope it will inspire her as it usually does. However, it fails to work on this occasion because her mind is preoccupied and anxiety is swelling in the pit of her stomach.

She wanders back over to the couch and peers into her bag reaching for the white rectangular box that has been sitting at the bottom of it for two weeks. She’s been waiting for the right moment, to pluck up the courage to tell Stefan and she’s determined that she’ll do it this weekend, but as the words “pregnancy test” stare back up at her she feels as though she’s going to projectile vomit everywhere.

Elena slowly and pleasantly awakens, with a soft moan and a stretch of her legs to find herself sprawled out on the burgundy leather sofa, the lingering smells of smoke from the roaring log fire mixed with the mouth watering smell Stefan’s homemade cooking floating up her nostrils. The notebook is sat on her chest, open and face down, the pen discarded on the floor and there’s a fleecy plaid blanket draped over her bottom half that she doesn’t remember seeing before. A soft smile comes across her face and a warm sensation spreads throughout her entire being as she remembers where she is.

Elena never usually naps during the day and is surprised that she dropped off, considering the stress she’s under, but the tranquility and cosyness of being at the lakehouse must’ve got the better of her. With a yawn she climbs off the sofa and heads to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, acutely aware of the unusual silence that fills the air and absence of her husband.

“Stefan?” she calls. 

It’s only a few moments before she notices that the table is already laid, with plates, cutlery and candles and a note sitting at the center which reads: “Gone to the store to get a few things, didn’t wanna wake you, you looked so peaceful.”

Elena sighs to herself and is stunned that after so many years it’s still the smallest acts of consideration and thought that make her fall in love with Stefan even more.

Grabbing for the blanket from the couch and wrapping it about herself, Elena steps outside into the cool, brisk evening to stare out at the sky, pink in colour from the stunning sunset.

“When he gets back, I’ll tell him. I will, I’ll tell him,” she thinks. But that’s the hundredth time she’s thought that this week and each and every time she’s chickened out. 

She’s not even sure what she’s afraid of. In the 10 years she’s known Stefan they’ve faced more obstacles than most couples do in a lifetime and yet they’re still fiercely committed to one another and more deeply in love than they ever have been. They made vows in which they promised themselves to each other for the rest of their life, they’ve built a life together and a home, children is the naturally the next step and it’s not like they’ve never spoken about it before. So then why is she so nervous at the mere thought of telling him she might be pregnant?

As Elena tortures herself with these kinds of thoughts, she doesn’t notice Stefan coming up behind her and she gasps in surprise when he whispers softly in her ear, “Boo.”

“What did you do that for!? You almost gave me a heart attack!” she exclaims, although she can’t suppress her amusement. 

“Sorry, I couldn’t resists. So you finally arose from your slumber, Sleeping Beauty?” 

He wraps his arms about her hips, moving in closer to her so as to feel her warmth and she brings her elbow back into his ribs as she replies with, “Shut up.”

Stefan laughs lightly and his breath tickles Elena’s ear, sending shivers down her spine. She brings her hands up, placing them on top of his which are now on her stomach and is momentarily transported back in time.

“Do you remember the first time we came here?” 

“You’re thinking about that too, huh?” 

Elena nods. “I loved you so much and I remember just wanting to cling to that moment forever, because I was terrified that something would happen…that I’d lose you and we wouldn’t be together.”

“I know, but everything was different back then. You never have to worry about that again, you’ve got me. Forever.” 

Stefan kisses Elena’s hair and she can’t fight the emotion that overtakes her, as she sniffles lightly.

“Hey, hey,” Stefan says, swinging her around to face him. “What’s this all about?” 

“Nothing…I just…I never thought we’d get to here. That we’d be free of all that supernatural stuff and just get to be human and be together. I guess, I’ve grown so used to it that I take it forgranted, but being back here, it just reminds me of it and I couldn’t bear it…I…all that matters to me is you. Our future together.”

“Elena, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong?” Stefan asks, concern and worry on his face. 

Elena takes a deep breath and braces herself for what she’s about to say.

“There’s something I have to tell you. I’ve been trying to tell you for weeks, but I was afraid of what you’d think, of things changing-” 

“Elena, seriously, what is it?” 

“Come on, I’ll show you.” 

Taking his hand in hers, Elena leads him back inside and pulls the pregnancy test out of her bag.

When she turns to face Stefan with the box in her hands, Stefan furrows his brow in confusion.

“I’m late. Three weeks.” 

Suddenly the pieces come together in Stefan’s mind and confusion turns to shock.

“What?” 

Elena feels her heart sink as she tries to desperately read Stefan’s expression.

“I haven’t taken the test yet, I didn’t want to without you.” 

Stefan inhales deeply and turns his back to Elena putting his hands to his head. “You should’ve told me sooner.”

“I know and I’m sorry, but like I said, I was scared, I didn’t know what you’d say. I know we both want kids, but we didn’t plan this and-” 

“Elena…” Stefan swings back to her and steps up to her. “…I love you, nothing will ever change that.” 

Elena’s heart bursts with relief and joy at hearing those words and knew she was being irrational to doubt him for even a second.

“We’ll do this test together and whatever it says, we’ll be in it together, okay?” 

Elena nods, her eyes brimming with tears and the two take off upstairs to the bathroom, the entirety of their future dependent on some little lines on a stick.

“How long does it take?” 

“The box says 2 minutes,” Elena answers. 

“I’ll set a timer,” Stefan says taking his cell out of his pocket.

“What happened to your no cell phone rule?” Elena teases. 

Stefan glares up at her and Elena is aware that her bad joke is a result of her uncontrollable nerves. Stefan has reassured her that he loves her, that whatever the test says they will face it together, but what he hasn’t told her is how he feels about it. Elena doesn’t even know how she feels about it herself, because she’s so concerned with trying to figure out what Stefan feels. Does he want the test to be positive or is he praying and hoping that it’s a false alarm?

The two minutes seem to last forever and when the time on Stefan’s cell finally rings, Elena’s heartbeat grows erratic in her chest.

Without a word, Stefan reaches for the test from the counter beside the sink and the second his eyes fall upon it, his eyes go wide and all expression falls from his face. Unable to move or even speak, Elena stands motionless, her eyes fixated on Stefan, the sound of her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.

When Stefan turns the test towards her, she’s greeted with the sight of two parallel pink lines and all breath is knocked out of her.

“It’s positive,” Stefan announces. 

Suddenly Elena feels that she’s in an inferno and she clumsily stumbles out of the bathroom and downstairs, heading outside, desperate for air.

Stefan chases after her and finds her pacing on the decking outside, mumbling incoherently under her breath.

“Elena. Elena, just stop. Stop for a minute. Elena!” 

He runs in front of her and grabs her by the shoulders.

“You’re pregnant. We’re having a baby,” Stefan says excitedly, a beaming smile on his face. 

Elena frowns at him and stammers, “But–what–you mean, you’re happy?”

“Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be? Elena, this is everything I’ve ever wanted. It’s everything we’ve ever wanted. Sure, we might not of planned it, but what does that matter? I love you and I want this. Don’t you?”

Elena has been so preoccupied with trying to find the right way to tell Stefan and so anxious about the result that she hasn’t even considered what it would actually mean for her to be pregnant. But as Stefan looks on at her, a gleaming smile on his face and hope reflected in his eyes, she realises that this is what she wants.

She’s always wanted to be a mother; to feel the overwhelming, unconditional love the first time her baby lies on her chest, to have a little person in her life that means the world with whom she gets to teach, learn from and watch grow. And from the moment she fell in love with Stefan she has envisioned what it would be like to to have a child created by their love, that’s half her and half Stefan, to watch it grow and witness it’s every happiness and sadness. Now, she gets to have that. She gets to have all of it.

“I do,” Elena replies quietly. 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah, we’re having a baby,” Elena says through hysterical laughter and tears.

“We’re having a baby!” 

Ecstatic, Stefan lifts her up from the ground and spins her around. The two giggle gleefully, their heads spinning with the sheer amount of joy they’re overcome with.

Once Elena’s feet are planted firmly back on the ground the pair frantically kiss, their teeth banging together through the smiles fixated on their faces. Elena winds her fingers through his hair and Stefan rests his hands on her back, pulling her ever closer until there is not even an inch of space between them.

As the kiss deepens and moans leave their throats, they begin to step back towards the house without breaking apart for even a second. Stefan slides his hands down Elena’s stomach until he reaches the hem of her sweater and pulls it over her head before letting it drop to the floor. He falls back into her, kissing and licking her neck and collarbone.

“Stefan, wait, wait,” Elena says quietly. 

“Mmm, what?” Stefan inquires, continuing to kiss her hot skin. 

“What about dinner? You went to all that effort, it would be a shame to let it go to waste.” 

“Well, it’s not usually my style,” Stefan says looking up to her, “but just for tonight I think we can treat ourselves and start with desert. What do you think?” 

Stefan smiles seductively at Elena and she raises her eyebrows at him playfully.

“You know me, I’m a sucker for a little something sweet.” 

Letting out a chuckle, Stefan lifts Elena up into his arms and places her down onto the rug laid in front of the roaring fire. They proceed to shed each other of their clothing and get swept up in an erotically sensual, whirlwind of passion and bliss. Amidst the entwined limbs, moans of pleasure and moist kisses their bodies express the profound love they have for one another, that no words could ever begin to explain.

“Mmm, I could never get tired of that. You and me, together.” 

Still naked, Stefan and Elena lie wrapped around each other in front of the fireplace, their skin still hot and sticky, their hearts racing and their nerves tingling with lingering pleasure.

“Me either,” Stefan agrees, pulling her head into him so that her face is sat perfectly in the crevice of his neck. 

“I’m starving.” 

Stefan laughs. “Well, the truth is, I kinda messed up dinner.”

“What? Stefan Salvatore, mess up dinner? Who are you and what have you done with my husband?”

He chuckles. “I guess I was too distracted by thoughts of my beautiful wife.”

“Smooth.”

“I know,” Stefan replies with a satisfied smile. “I think there’s some food left in the fridge from when Jeremy came down last.”

Although she doesn’t want to breakaway from Stefan, the growling in her stomach is hard to ignore, so Elena gets to her feet and goes to the fridge, with Stefan closely behind.

“Okay…so we have pudding, pudding and more pudding,” Elena says as she searches through the contents of the fridge.

“Huh, typical Jeremy,” Stefan says with a light laugh. “So, what we gonna eat?”

“What are you waiting for? Grab some spoons.” 

Stefan rolls his eyes but proceeds to get two spoons from the drawer. The two sink down on the floor in front of the fridge and tuck into their first pot of pudding. 

“Mmm, okay, I take it back. I could never get tired of this.”

Stefan laughs and although he’s not as much of a sweet tooth as Elena, even he has to admit that the chocolate pudding tastes damn good.

Elena finishes her pot in less than 5 spoonfuls and is reaching for her second before Stefan is even halfway through. When Elena catches him looking at her through raised eyebrows she defensively says, “What? It’s baby cravings. I can’t help it if the baby wants pudding.”

“Oh, right, of course, the baby wants it,” Stefan teases. 

“She does, okay?” 

“She, huh? So, it’s a girl?”

“I dunno…I mean, it might be a boy, but I just have a feeling.”

Stefan nods. “Well, I bet she’ll be as beautiful as her mom.”

Never able to take a compliment, Elena rolls her eyes and Stefan stares at her in adoration, wondering how she manages to be so utterly modest. Every single day he thought he had peaked where it came to Elena and that he couldn’t possibly love her anymore, but he was wrong. He’s always learning more about her, seeing things about her that he’d never noticed before and knowing that she is carrying his child has already transformed his love for her into something even more profound.

“What? What is it?” Elena asks when she notices Stefan’s intense eyes fixed on her. 

“Nothing, I just…I can’t believe this is really happening.” 

Elena tilts her head to the side, puts her pudding down on the floor and shuffles over to him.

“Well, it is. After everything we’ve been through, we made it, Stefan. Everything we went through…it’s all worth it now because we’re here.” 

She strokes his cheek softly and Stefan nods and breathes deeply, a lump rising in his throat.

“Did you know you dropped pudding on your chest? Look, right there,” Stefan says pointing at it. 

“Way to break the moment.” 

“Hey, I can’t help it if you get more food down you than in your mouth. Sometimes with you, it’s like I already have a baby.” 

“Really?” Elena says leaning back from him, reaching for her pot of pudding and throwing it on Stefan’s bare chest. “Oops, looks like I’m not the only messy eater around here.”

“You did not just do that.” 

“Looks like I did.” 

“Right, that’s it!” 

With a squeal Elena jumps up and Stefan chases after her, flinging pudding at her, until the floor and Elena are smothered in it. The two dash around the kitchen like a pair of 11 year old’s, their bellies aching with how much they’re laughing. Even after 10 years, the playfulness of their relationship doesn’t seem to have faded and for all the sensuality and passion that’s between them, there is an equal amount of friendship and camaraderie which means they have fun and make each other laugh like no one else can.

When Elena falls on the tiled floor, the play comes to an immediate stop and Stefan sprints to her side, falling on his knees beside her.

“Oh, my god! Elena, are you okay?” Stefan asks worriedly. 

Elena sits up and empties the contents of another pot of pudding directly into Stefan’s face.

“Hah, I win!” Elena calls proudly. 

Stefan wipes the pudding from his eyes and says, “Did you just fake an injury to win?”

“Yep.” 

“Well played, Mrs Salvatore.” 

Elena nods, a satisfied grin on her face. “I do play dirty sometimes.”

“Huh, good to know.”

Elena laughs, then gets onto her knees and runs her finger down Stefan’s face, before licking it.

“Mmm, tasty.”

“Come closer, get a better taste,” Stefan says, grabbing her by the hips and pulling her to him, before kissing her firmly.

The sweet taste of chocolate dances on Elena’s taste buds as she traces her tongue over Stefan’s face.

“My two favourite things; chocolate pudding and you.”

Stefan beams at her and she returns to his mouth, she massaging her tongue against his rhythmically and expertly, the lingering traces of pudding on her tongue landing on Stefan’s taste buds.

Covered head to toe in slimy pudding, they clumsily slide against each other as their hunger for one another threatens to take them over once again.

Breathlessly they pull apart and although they both look ridiculous, when their eyes fall upon each other they’re overwhelmed by the beauty they see and it causes them both to tremble.

“I love you,” they both say at the exact same time.

They giggle and Stefan reaches up to her face, wipes her hair from her eyes and with a serious expression says again, “I mean it, I love you. I will always love you.”

“Even in 7 months when I’m the size of a whale?” Elena says with a chuckle. 

“Even then,” he replies, tracing circles on her cheek with his thumb. 

“I love you, too.”

With that the two find each other’s lips once again and roll about the pudding covered floor of the house where 10 years ago they doubted their future together, now completely secure and content in their forever as husband and wife, mother and father.


End file.
